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Injured ankle could land Infante on DL

Injured ankle could land Infante on DL

7/3/13: Omar Infante injures his leg after a hard slide into second by Colby Rasmus, forcing him to leave the game in the fourth inning

By Jason Beck
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MLB.com |

CLEVELAND -- Omar Infante's sprained left ankle, an injury sustained on Colby Rasmus' slide on Wednesday in Toronto, continues to sideline him. Monday was his fifth consecutive game out of the lineup.

The way Infante sounded as the Tigers prepared to return home following Monday's win, he might have all the way through the All-Star break to recover.

"I'm thinking maybe the DL," Infante told MLive.com after Monday's win. "I'll know [on Tuesday]. I did some light running today, but it wasn't easy. I can't run or jog. I can't do nothing."

Head athletic trainer Kevin Rand confirmed on Monday that Infante's bruised left shin, which took the brunt of the damage from Rasmus' takeout slide at second base, is no longer a hindrance. The ankle problem, however, is a sprain rather than a contusion.

Infante said he'll undergo an MRI on Tuesday to help determine the severity of the injury.

If the Tigers place Infante on the DL, they can backdate the move to last Thursday, the day after the injury. The combination of the backdate and the All-Star break would mean Infante could be eligible to return when the Tigers begin the second half of their schedule a week from Friday in Kansas City.

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. Read Beck's Blog and follow him on Twitter @beckjason. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.